Cayo Levisa is somewhat off the beaten track for foreign visitors to Cuba. It’s an uninhabited island off the north coast of Pinar del Rio Province, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Viñales. It’s the perfect mix of glorious beaches and crystal clear waters. Great for snorkeling and diving. Perfect for a castaway beach day out. Much of the island is mangrove, but there’s a fabulous 3-kilometer (2-mile) beach on the north coast as well as about 20 dive sites to explore. Read on for more on the reasons to come to Cayo Levisa, how to get to Cayo Levisa, and what to do on the island.
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The island is uninhabited, and the single hotel that was once here has closed, so this makes a great day trip from Viñales. Although if you do want to stay locally, then the town of Palma Rubia has some good casa particular options. (Check them here). It’s about a 90-minute drive from Viñales to Palma Rubia, where you catch a boat over the island. This really is a Caribbean island getaway!
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Prebook and prepay your return transfer to Cayo Levisa from Viñales and take the hassle out of getting to this amazing place.
3 Reasons to Come to Cayo Levisa
If you’re looking for the true desert island experience with some lunch and drinks thrown in, then this is the island getaway for you. Unlike Cayo Jutias (which I wrote about here), you’ll need to get a boat to this island, as there is no causeway. Day trips give you around 5.5 hours on the island, with boats leaving Palma Rubia at 10:00 and returning at 16:00. The boat takes about 30 minutes to get to the island. You can book a transfer from Viñales and a return boat trip here.
If you’re in Viñales and want to take some time out for the beach, but avoid the bigger beaches like Varadero, then this is for you.
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1. Cayo Levisa is off the beaten track for foreign visitors
It’s off the beaten track, even though it’s just about 2 hours from Viñales. And you’ll be sharing the beach with very few people. There’s a once-daily boat that comes from Palma Rubia, and if I’m fair about it, the boat prices out local Cubanos, so it’s not only foreign visitors who don’t come here, but locals too.
There’s not a lot here. Mangroves. Marshes. Beaches. Gloriously soft white sand and some super snorkel and dive sites. There’s a small restaurant for snacks and a dive shop. You’ll also find sunbed rental and umbrella rentals, as well as basic showers and bathrooms too. I mean, what more do you need?
Despite being off the beaten track, you can get here relatively easily. Start your journey from Viñales – and either prebook your transfer (including the boat trip) or ask at your casa particular when the boats are running, and get a transfer from Viñales to Palma Rubia in time for the boat departures. However, the easiest way to get here is to prebook your transfer, then it’s booked and paid for, and you don’t need to worry about the money. Do that now, with Civitatis.
2. Enjoy Cayo Levisa’s Beaches
This is the prime activity enjoyed by visitors to Cayo Levisa. Rent a sunbed and an umbrella or find yourself a palm tree to relax underneath. The hotel never reopened as accommodation after the pandemic, but there is a small restaurant and dive shop here that you can utilise. There are about 3 kilometers of beach here to enjoy.
Bring everything that you need for the day – sunscreen, hat, water. I’ve got a list coming up of what to bring.
3. Go Diving or Snorkeling at Cayo Levisa
Divers and snorkelers looking to decide between Cayo Levisa and Cayo Jutias should come here. There are better snorkeling and diving options here. It’s one of the best dive spots in Cuba. For other dive sites, head to the Bay of Pigs or the Jardines de la Reina. You can rent snorkling or dive gear from the beach here and there are plenty of dive sites (23 in the area) where you can explore marine life and several shipwrecks too. Dive trips cost about US$40 per dive, including equipment, but bring cash to pay.
There’s black coral here, lobsters, and sponges for those diving. If you’re not a diver, then you can rent pedal boats, stand-up Paddleboards, and Kayaks. You’ll pay about US$10 per hours for these. Coral can be spotted at just 3 meters below the surface and the dive sites include The Pirate’s Sword, Paradise Lost, Sponge Valley, Lorenzo’s Cave, The Mysterious Chain, Ludovico’s Arch, Hell, San Carlos’ Crown, Shark Pond, and The Little Grotto.
The reef here is part of the Guanahacabibes National Park, which is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Natural Reserve has a coral wall which extends to around 30 meters.
Cayo Levisa makes it to my top places to snorkel in Cuba list – check out what else is on the list here.
Why go to Cayo Levisa?
You can only come here for day trips now, as the hotel closed, but the fact that you have to get a boat here makes it a little more of an island experience than simply driving along the causeway, as you do when heading to Cayo Jutias. The ferry doesn’t come every day, and is usually based on demand, so you’re best to prebook either with your accommodation in Viñales, or use Civitatis and prepay your trip. There are more than 20 dive sites here, as it’s part of the Colorados Archipelago coral reef and well known for its black coral.
How to Get to Cayo Levisa
There is one boat a day that comes to Cayo Levisa. It leaves from Palma Rubia and takes about 30 minutes. The boat costs US$18 return trip. In addition, you’ll need to arrange a transfer from Viñales to get here. It takes about 90 minutes – 2 hours to get here from Viñales.
The easiest way to get to Cayo Levisa is to arrange a transfer.
There are no buses (Viazul or Transtur, or otherwise) that go to Cayo Levisa, so you’ll need to arrange private transport to get here. The easiest way to get to Cayo Levisa is to arrange (and pay for) transport in advance. I recommend using Civitatis for this.
Where is Cayo Levisa?
Cayo Levisa is one of the islands that make up the Los Colorados archipelago of islands. It’s just to the north of Pinar del Río province. The island is uninhabited, and the once single hotel here has now closed, so it’s only possible to visit as a day trip. You can stay close by, though, in the small town of Palma Rubia and visit on a day trip. Most visitors to Cayo Levisa, though, come here on a day trip from Viñales.
Cayo Levisa is just 1.5 square kilometres (0.57 square miles), at its longest it’s 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles), but is only several hundred meters wide in places. About 75% of the island is covered in marshy swamp land, and the south of the island is mangrove forest.
How Long to Spend on Cayo Levisa
Your time on Cayo Levisa is limited by the boats that travel to and from Palma Rubia. They leave at around 10:00 and return between 16:00 and 17:00, which gives you just enough time to get back to Viñales before dark. You’ll get a maximum of 6 hours on the island.
What to Bring to Cayo Levisa
You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas on Cayo Levisa, and there is a small restaurant where you can get food. You’ll need to bring cash (foreign currency or Cuban Pesos) enough to pay for your boat trip, and anything you buy on the island, including any dive trips you might take.
I recommend that you bring the following to Cayo Levisa
- Good sunscreen (I recommend this reef-safe option)
- A decent hat (I love and use this Sunday Afternoon one)
- Good sunglasses – I’ve used Maui Jim’s for years.
- A cover-up from the sun
- A quick dry towel
- A reusable water bottle (full!) with spare water
- Water shoes or hiking sandals – trails on the island need them
- Mosquito repellent
- Snorkeling Gear
- A rash guard (the sun is brutal and no more so than when you’re face down in the water!)
Is it worth visiting Cayo Levisa?
An uninhabited island that hardly gets any visitors is one of the best dive sites in Cuba. Heck yes. If you’ve got a spare day when visiting Viñales, then put this into your itinerary.
I’ve even designed a specific itinerary that includes Cayo Levisa. My itineraries are designed to use the Viazul Bus network wherever possible (and aside from the transfer to Cayo Levisa, this one does). You can buy my itineraries (there are 5 of them) in my Cuba by Bus ebook here.
There’s not much here, but just enough. You’ll find sunbeds, umbrellas, and some water sports rental equipment, even perhaps snorkeling gear (but read my guide on what to pack for Cuba, as I do recommend that you bring your own).
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Final Words on Reasons to Visit Cayo Levisa.
If the idea of an uninhabited Caribbean Island that hardly anyone comes to appeals to you, then Cayo Levisa will appeal even more. It’s a great place for snorkeling, for diving, and for just enjoying the amazing beach here. Take a day out of your Cuba visit and explore off the beaten track.
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